


Aura

by SleepsWithCoyotes



Category: The Last Remnant
Genre: Dragons, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-08
Updated: 2016-05-08
Packaged: 2018-06-07 06:32:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 694
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6790906
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SleepsWithCoyotes/pseuds/SleepsWithCoyotes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's hard to say how it happened.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Aura

**Author's Note:**

> TLR character/pairing + word challenge. Morkeleb asked for _"David/Rush - dragon."_ And you can honest-to-god get the dragons here to do this--well, not the bit where they attack other monsters; I made that bit up. But Terrify Aura is made of nearly as much shiny and win as Charm Aura.
> 
> Also, in honor of finally signing up for Flight Rising, Coyo has declared a Dragon Week! It's archived (and hopefully new) dragonfic from here on out. \o/

Though he had been there to see the beginning, truly David was at a loss to explain what had happened. Rush's odd little harvesting Remnant--and he would give a lot to know who had settled on the name "Mr. Diggs" for the creature--had been investigating a tree, which had in turn leaked an odd-smelling sap all over the creature and Rush alike. It wasn't an especially unpleasant smell to him, but Torgal's nostrils had flared sharply when Rush got too close, hackles rising, ears pinning back to his skull. Even Pagus had eyed Rush askance but in the end had only politely suggested a wash in the river that ran not far away.

They hadn't expected there to be a dragon in the way--not a troublesome green but a deadly black--or for the thing to pause in mid-snarl, sniff the air with a start, and then shrink away from them, head down, panting open-mouthed in sheer terror.

Odd reaction from the creature or not, David drew his sword, ready to confront the beast until a hand on his arm stopped him.

"Aw, Dave, wait up a moment," Rush said, eyes darting guiltily between him and the dragon. "We can't just whack it now...I mean, look at the thing! It's totally spooked!"

David tried to parse that into something that made sense, but Rush merely continued to eye him pleadingly. While it was hardly an unattractive look, it did seem very odd for it to come over the matter of a dragon he _didn't_ want killed.

"I doubt the situation is permanent," he offered as reasonably as he could. He had no particular hope that Rush was listening, however.

"You know, this is pretty ace. I've never been this close to a live dragon before...well, one that wasn't trying to eat me. Hey, I wonder--"

He was off like a shot before David could stop him, and it was with not a little horror that he watched Rush walk right up to the thing, until he got so close it could have nipped his head off or stomped him flat with one heavy paw. Instead the creature backed away, letting itself be herded dragonlength by dragonlength across the long meadow west of the Heroic Ramparts. When a swarm of shellflies got in the creature's way, it snapped them irritably out of the air, the better to retreat before Rush.

"I do not believe what I'm seeing," David murmured aloud, not caring who heard him.

"On the contrary," Torgal replied with a sigh. "With his propensity for picking up...strays, shall we say, I'd be more surprised if he didn't want to--"

"Rush!" David called urgently, striding after him before Torgal could finish that thought. "You cannot bring that dragon with us!"

"Aw, c'mon!" Rush called back, laughing. He appeared to have caught the creature at last, herding it into a corner where the riverbank met the Rampart walls, and he was petting the gleaming black snout as the dragon stared down its nose in total disbelief. "He might come in handy! Did you see what he did to those bugs?"

"Rush. That is a Noble Abelisk," he said slowly, meaning _not a pet._

"That's okay," Rush said with a shrug. "Titles don't scare me."

Wait. "What?"

"And anyway, what else are you supposed to do with a war dragon, huh? Other guys get to bring theirs to the fight...why can't Athlum?"

_Because no one in Athlum is mad enough to try to tame one,_ he nearly replied before diplomacy kicked in.

"Athlum doesn't condone the use of monsters in battle," he said gently, patting Rush's shoulder at the dejected look he was given. "Come on, now. We've disturbed the poor thing enough, and Nagapur awaits."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Rush said, giving the beast's nose a final pat. "But taking a dragon into battle would've been awesome!"

"Yes," he said, "I'm sure it would." Clearly he would have to pay more attention to what Rush was likely to bring home. The mercenaries had already made things interesting enough.

But what exactly had Rush meant about titles, anyway?

**Author's Note:**

> I'm still incredibly sad I never got around to turning David into a dragon. D:


End file.
